When the Snow Falls
by Neko-Mei
Summary: [Shounen ai KaiTyson RayMariah KennyHilaryMax] The bladebreakers are going back to Russia for another championship tournament. Little do they know that there is a lot more than the average tournament in store for them... [updated, chapter 4]
1. Chapter One

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**_Mei: _**_I started another story! _::dies:: _Now I have **three** unfinished stories going at the same time… Someone please shoot me **X.X**_

**_Kai: _**_My pleasure ::_pulls out gun:: **_n-n_**

**_Mei: O.O _**_I didn't mean literally! Put that away!_

**Dedicated: **Yes this fic _is_ dedicated to someone… Sunruner!! **n-n** Without her this story wouldn't even exist! She encouraged me to write it, helped me come up with ideas and she's even beta-reading it for me, even though she doesn't like yaoi or know who half the beyblade characters are… Isn't she a great friend? You're the best Sunny-chan!

**Sunny: ::does a little happy dance in the corner:: n-n**

**Disclaimer –** I don't know why anyone would think that I own them… but I don't. Beyblade does not belong to me… And if it did Kai and Tyson would get married and live happily ever after **n-n**

**Warning –**This fic contains shounen ai (boy/boy relationship) If you don't like it, then don't read it. Simple.

**_Kai: _**_On with the story already… The story in which I am severely tortured._

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**When the Snow Falls**

Chapter One:

Shadows danced across the moonlit room, casting contrasting patterns of light and darkness across the wooden floor. Three sleeping figures were illuminated by the moonlight. The first had messy blonde waves, cut shorter than the other two in a vain attempt to keep it somewhat tame. The covers were drawn up to his chin, and a small smile played across his freckled face in his sleep.

The second was a Chinese teen with his long ebony black hair tied back neatly and a calm, peaceful expression across his cat-like features. He slept on his side, fingering his small white beyblade in his sleep, his fingers unconsciously circling around the White Tiger in the center.

The third boy was sprawled across the futon in a wild position, snoring gently in his sleep. His unruly midnight blue hair was unbound, leaving it splayed haphazardly across the pillow and in his face. The blankets had long ago been kicked off and onto the floor and the boylooked very close to rolling off with it.

The fourth futon lay empty. The blankets sat beside it, folded neatly with the small white pillow resting on top. Anyone peeking into the room would think it had never been used. They wouldn't be very far from the truth.

Kai sat outside the dojo, watching the reflection of the night sky in the small garden pond. He was dressed in what passed for pajamas in his mind, which was a plain, over-sized black t-shirt and dark blue shorts. He smiled faintly, remembering his fellow teammates' reactions to finally seeing him in shorts. He had always adamantly refused to wear anything but pants, even to bed. But given the scorching heat at this time of year, he had finally given up.

It _was_ hot, although if he blamed the heat on his recent insomnia Kai would be lying. He toyed bemusedly with the pocketknife in his hands, running his long slender fingers across the blade. It wouldn't be the first time he had "played" with knives, but cutting himself so close to dawn the day before a tournament would be risky. He would be spending a lot of time with his teammates for the next few weeks, and they were bound to notice if he started cutting up his wrist again. There were only so many excuses he could make before they figured it out.

It would probably save him a lot of trouble to just forget the knife and not start that habit again. Just like it would probably save him a lot of trouble to just go and get some sleep…

But he couldn't sleep. Tomorrow was the day he, the rest of his team, and Hilary, would climb on an airplane and fly to the place of the tournament. To the place where all his troubles were, to the place where they'd began, the place he never wanted to back to… the place that was dark, cold and lonely…

Tomorrow they flew to Russia.

The sixteen-year-old dragged the sharp silver blade across the side of his wrist, watching the crimson liquid appear on his pale skin… It matched his eyes, he smiled ruefully. He wondered vaguely what the others would think if they found out about this… Probably pity him.

Kai wasn't suicidal. The point of this cutting was not to kill himself, he wasn't reduced to being _that_ pathetic, yet. Somehow the burgundy-eyed teen found the pain comforting. It kept him from getting too stressed out, taking his mind off other things… Like how a certain blue-haired blader would never return his feelings.

He'd never been able to handle his emotions. He'd never been taught how – he was raised to be a fighter, a warrior, a tool. He wasn't supposed to feel, he was taught that feelings were a weakness, easily exploited by an enemy. So he'd blocked out his feelings along with everything and everyone else. He'd raised an icy wall around his heart pushing away everyone who came near.

But then Tyson came along. The small, cheerful teen had been his rival at first, one that had hardly interested Kai. But he proved to be more formidable than the Russian boy had expected when he shattered his illusion of being perfect by being the first person to ever defeat him. Kai was shocked, but it didn't end there.

After that final battle in the Japanese tournament, Tyson wanted to be Kai's _friend_. The elder boy couldn't have that. He didn't want friends and he didn't need friends. So he pushed the younger boy away, along with the rest of his new teammates. Eventually the others gave up on him, deciding he wasn't worth the effort, but not Tyson. The younger boy was persistent; he refused to give up on Kai.

His icy wall had started to crack, even melt. He'd felt it coming down as Tyson got closer and closer, and it had frightened him beyond belief. He didn't know why one small, loud, obnoxious teenager could affect him so much, and he wanted it to stop. So he pushed Tyson away even more, creating more of a distance between them.

When he'd been offered to the Black Dranzer in Balkov Abbey, he'd seen it as the perfect chance to push Tyson and the others away for good, to prove to them and himself that he didn't need anybody. But he was wrong. He challenged his teammates on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal and lost. He realized then in a flash of despair that Tyson had been right all along… He did need friends.

It was then that the younger boy surprised him, by reaching out across the ice, telling him to grab his hand, wanting to save him. His wall of ice shattered completely in that moment when Tyson and the others pulled him out of the frozen lake. They had forgiven him, after everything he had done… Kai's rueful smile vanished as he remembered, cleaning the blood off of his pocketknife.

Kai had tried to resurrect the wall around his heart, but Tyson was always able to bring it down again. He had taken away the wall, and over last two years he had managed to steal Kai's heart along with it. The dual-haired boy had always wondered if there was any possibility that Tyson might return his feelings, but he knew it was wishful thinking.

Just like hoping that he would never have to back to Russia and face his grandfather was wishful thinking.

"Oh boy!" cried world champion Tyson Kinomiya, bouncing around the waiting room in the airport, "I can't believe we're going to another tournament! This is gonna be so cool!" He was especially excited to be going to another tournament; it had been awhile since he had competed.

"Calm down Tyson," laughed Ray, "With all the stuff you ate this morning and that bouncing, you'll give yourself a stomachache."

The bluenette pouted, but complied and sat down beside the others, watching Hilary wringing her hands together nervously, "Are you sure you boys don't mind taking me along? I mean, I've never been traveling before…"

"Hil, that's the whole reason we're bringing you!" said Tyson exasperatedly. He and the others had been shocked to discover that their friend had _never_ left Japan, or even Bay City. '_Man, even _Kai_ gets out more than that girl,' _he thought looking towards his team captain.

The storm-eyed blader had to admit he was worried about bringing the older boy back to Russia. He knew Kai hadn't had the happiest childhood growing up there and he didn't want Kai to go through anymore stress by having to go back. The elder boy had been quieter than usual in the weeks prior to the tournament, and it had Tyson more anxious about him than ever.

Presently he stood up and went over to Kai, who was leaning against the wall in his typical detached pose… and looking damn good while doing it too. His eyes were shut and his arms were folded across his chest, his head hung slightly so that his bangs fell cutely into his face. Tyson could have stared at him all day if they hadn't been in public…

"Hey Kai!" he called, eager to try and make conversation with the older boy. It had never worked before, but he wasn't about to stop trying, "What're you doing?" When the other didn't answer he simply kept talking, "So what do you think about this new tournament, Kai? Are you as excited as we are? I bet you'll make us train a lot, won't you?"

Kai sighed, "Don't you have something better to do?" he asked, cracking open a single crimson eye in annoyance.

Tyson was slightly hurt by Kai's attitude, but he ignored it, "What could be better than chatting with my favorite team captain?" he asked cheerfully, '_maybe having him as a lover…'_ The fourteen-year-old felt himself blush at the thought, "Man it sure is hot today," he said laughing nervously, "How can you wear that jacket?" he pointed to Kai's long-sleeved black jacket.

Kai hesitated, evidently annoyed, "Its cold in Russia," he stated tersely.

"Yeah, but we're not in Russia yet," said Tyson fanning himself, "Aren't you hot?" he blushed for the second time upon realizing the double meaning behind his words, but Kai didn't seem to notice.

"Hey Tyson!"

The bluenette whirled around to see the Chief calling him over, "Uh, well, talk to you later Kai!" he didn't see the older boy glance at him longingly as he ran off. Kai stared at the floor dejectedly for a few more minutes before trudging off to the bathroom.

"Man, Ty. You would have flirted with him all day, wouldn't you?" asked Max, punching his best friend playfully on the arm.

He and the others grinned as their dark-haired friend turned a rather interesting shade of magenta, "Flirting? I wasn't flirting!"

Hilary chuckled at his protests, "Oh please Tyson, I'd recognize a flirt anywhere, especially one that obvious."

"Yeah," chimed in Dizzy, "but apparently she doesn't recognize when "a flirt" is flirting with _her_," she didn't get to elaborate because Kenny promptly snapped his laptop shut. Hilary stared at the computer genius and his trapped bit-beast, puzzled.

"What was Dizzy talking about?"

"Uh… Nothing! Nothing at all…" muttered the small bespectacled boy, reaching over and pulling a silver beyblade from his bag, "Hey Tyson!" he said, changing the subject abruptly, "I upgraded Dragoon for you."

"Really?" asked the Champion, bounding over to inspect his blade, "Wow, Chief! This is totally wicked! Thanks a bunch!"

"Kenny!" whined Hilary, poking the short boy impatiently, "Turn Dizzy back on! I want to know what she meant by that comment!"

Ray snickered, knowing _exactly_ what Dizzy had meant, but Max just frowned.

"Hey guys, the plane's here," called Tyson excitedly, seconds before the announcement of their flight came on.

"Great," said Ray getting up and picking up his bags, "The sooner we leave the sooner we get there!"

Tyson nudged him and winked, "_And_, the sooner _you_ get to see _Mariah_," he grinned emphasizing the words suggestively.

"Oh shut up," muttered Ray, his face taking on a pinkish tinge, "I'll be glad to see _all_ my friends in the White Tigers."

"Yeah, I know… Especially a certain pink-haired girl…"

"Tyson!"

Kai slipped out of the bathroom, sliding his knife back into his pocket. He'd figured out that once they got to Russia he could get away with wearing long-sleeved shirts, and the others would never know about his little habit. The sooner they left for Russia, the sooner they could get it over with.

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**_Mei: _**_I'm sorry that this chapter was so boring… **X.X ** Hopefully it will get more exciting next chappie… I'm hoping to make this my first dramatic (non-sarcastic) ficlet! I know the whole thing with Kai cutting himself is over-used, but I just couldn't resist throwing it in :P Besides, it works well for this fic, I think. Hehe… I'm so mean to Kai-san…_

**_Tyson: _**_You are! This isn't going __to be __centered on him is it? _::pouts::

**_Mei: _**_No, the others are in it quite a bit. The main pairing **is** Kai/Tyson, but there's also going to be a lot Ray/Mariah and Kenny/Hilary/Max on the side if I can fit it in **n-n**_

**_Kai: _**_In__ other words, this is mostly going to be a sappy romance, isn't it? _

**_Mei: _**_Well… I wouldn't put it **that** way…_

**Sunny: Yes you would.**

**_Mei: -.-;;_**__


	2. Chapter Two

**_Mei: _**_I finally updated this thing **n.n**I'm so proud of myself! Well, not really. I think I could have done better… it's kind of short and the beginning wasn't as fluffy as I wanted it to be – it wasn't fluffy at all **-.-;;** But at least I updated, ne? **n.n******_

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**_(random moment from beta-reader: _::pouts::_ you said you'd make it fluffy _::continues with the pouting::_ /random moment)_**

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**_Kai: _**_You have no outline for this fic. All you know about it is that one chapter near the end where I get-_

**_Mei: _**_Don't give it away! You're going spoil the whole plot! _::glares::

**_Kai: _**_That's my point. You don't have a plot!_

**_(She might… I think.)_**__

**Disclaimer – If** you honestly believe that I own beyblade then you have _serious_ issues. (In other words I don't – so all you sue-happy peoples can go away :P)

**Warning –** If X is equal to Y and Y is equal to X then what is the value of X plus Y plus X plus Y? (It's yaoi – don't like gay boys? Then don't read)

**_Tyson: _**_You really are getting bored of writing those Warnings, aren't you?_

**_Mei: _**_Whatever gives you that idea?_

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**When the Snow Falls**

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Chapter Two

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They landed in Moscow around noon. Hilary had moaned and complained that the plane ride had made her feel sick, and Max had quickly volunteered to take her to the washroom – earning a disapproving look from the Chief.

The remaining four boys now sat at a bench waiting for their friends to return. Kenny was getting edgy,

"What's taking them so long?" he asked anxiously, gazing at the airport's clock. He had been pacing back and forth in front of the bench the others were sitting at (save for Kai who seemed to prefer leaning against the wall) ever since Max had left with Hilary.

"Geez Chief," Ray chuckled, "They've only been gone for a few minutes."

"Yeah well, anything could have happened," Kenny replied nervously, "The airport's a big place! They could have been abducted or something and we wouldn't even know about it! Hilary's never been traveling before, she would know-"

"Calm down, Kenny," said Tyson reassuringly, "Maxie's a good guy, he'll look after Hil'."

"That's what I'm afraid of," muttered Kenny darkly.

It didn't take long for them to travel to the hotel, once Max and Hilary had returned. Tyson and Ray had taken turns sitting beside Hilary, in the hopes of preventing any glaring matches between Max and the Chief. Hilary herself was completely oblivious to all this; as she was too busy staring out the window in awe.

Tyson really didn't see what she found so fascinating about all of this, the first time he'd been to Russia, he'd only been interested in the food, but his classmate was rambling on about culture and history. It was all lost on her navy-haired friend, as he never paid any attention in those classes.

"…and have you ever heard of Ivan the Terrible? He even killed his own son! Can you believe that?"

Tyson blinked, not really paying attention, "Why would he kill his son?"

"I don't know, he was evil," said Hilary shuddering.

"He wasn't evil – he was insane, but not evil."

Tyson jumped, "Kai! When did you get here?" he laughed nervously, "Haven't I ever told you not to sneak up on me like that?"

The elder boy cast him an amused look, "Kinomiya, I've been sitting here the whole time."

"Oh! Yeah… I knew that," replied Tyson, feeling incredibly stupid, _That explains why I didn't see him at the back of the bus_.

Hilary frowned, "Well if he _wasn't_ evil, then why did he beat his own _son_ to death?"

"They had an argument," Kai stated calmly.

"Oh, well that's a _lovely_ reason," the brunette muttered sarcastically.

Kai shrugged, "He was mentally unstable."

"Gee, you think?"

The bus screeched to a halt.

"Hey, we made it!" said Ray, hopping up immediately. Tyson could understand the Chinese teen's relief – Ray had been stuck sitting in an uncomfortable silence between Kenny and Max. Needless to say, anyone would find it unnerving. Yet, Tyson felt there were other reasons that his friend was being so cheerful…

"Yeah Ray… I hear _Mariah_ is staying at the same hotel," the world champion grinned as he watched an interesting shade of pink spread across the neko-jin's features.

"Well- you- I…" Tyson watched with satisfaction as Ray fumed at his inability to think up and come backs, "Just wait until I get my revenge," he said in mock threat.

Tyson followed his friend off of the bus, his feet sinking into the snow and causing him to shiver. He could have sworn he saw a little gleam of triumph in Kai's eyes that seemed to be saying "I told you so!" but if it was ever there, it was gone in a flash.

"Okay… Let's see here," Kenny was squinting behind his large thick glasses at a small piece of paper, "It says here that Mr. Dickenson rented us three rooms, one with three beds, one with two beds and one with only one bed."

"That one's Hilary's, I guess," said Ray.

"So… That leaves the rest of us to share the other two rooms, right?" said Max slowly.

Ray grinned mischieviously, "Tyson can bunk with Kai!"

The champion blader could feel himself doing a goldfish impression, "Why me?! _You_ always shared a room with him before!"

Something seemed to flicker deep inside those crimson depths, but before Tyson could figure out what it was Kai spoke, and they vanished, "He's right Ray, we should stick to what we're used to."

"Well, no offense Kai, but I think some change would be… refreshing," said Ray calmly, "You never know, something good might come out of it. You and Tyson might actually get to _know_ each other…" he paused and added slyly, "Really well…"

Tyson felt like screaming. The older boy was doing this on purpose! Just for the sake of humiliating him – and worse, it was working! What poor Tyson didn't realize, was that while he and the others understood what Ray was implying, Kai didn't.

"Whatever."

Ray gave a satisfied smile, saying his next words softly so that their captain wouldn't hear, "_That_, Tyson, was my revenge."

"Yeah well… You just wait until… um… until I get _my_ revenge!" retorted the younger boy lamely.

The neko-jin chuckled, and cast Tyson an evil grin, "Well… You never know. You and the old sourpuss might end up having some _fun_ after all."

Tyson raised a puzzled eyebrow at this comment… but a few minutes late his stormy blue eyes widened and his cheeks turned a bright shade of red, "Hentai!!"

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Mariah growled, she was _not_ going to lose this match. Too much depended on it, her team was at stake. Kevin and Gary… They were counting on her. Galux was counting on her…

She couldn't lose, not again.

_She remembered Ray telling her about him, how he had always been – for lack of a better word – a jerk. Despite that, he and the other boys – the Bladebreakers – had always trusted him. He was their captain, their leader… but not anymore._

_She remembered when he had betrayed them, the looks of shock on their faces. They hadn't a chance of winning without him, had they?_

_She remembered one of them running over and trying to talk to him, only to be brushed aside._

_But most of all, she remembered Emily, she remembered the look on Emily's face when she and the other All Stars had lost._

_Now she was losing, like __Gary__ had before her._

_Galux__ was losing…_

It wouldn't happen again.

"Galux! Attack!" she could do this, she knew she could. She was stronger now than she had been then – and this wasn't the Black Dranzer…

"Wolborg!"

Shards of ice were flying everywhere, and she could hear Kevin somewhere far off, screaming her name worriedly. It didn't matter, she wouldn't lose… not this time.

The wind was blowing so hard that it stung her cheeks, and ripped her silken pink ribbon from her hair. Kevin's faint voice had been drowned out completely, and she couldn't hear anything – except for the howl of the wind and the distant clashing of their battle.

She heard the boy chuckle, somewhere on the other side of the snowstorm, and barely had time to register his faded words as a block of ice shattered in front of her, spraying tiny, sharp, glass-like pieces into her face. A pink beyblade flew from the dish as the blizzard died down.

She blinked, stunned. In the background she could hear Lee, raging against her opponent, vowing to avenge his teammates. She could faintly hear Kevin and Gary asking her if she was alright…

Galux was gone…

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Mariah bolted upright in bed, bright pink hair plastered to her face, feline eyes wide and fearful. She forced herself to calm down as she took in her surroundings. Sunlight shone dimly through the curtains on the far side of the room, casting intricate patterns of light and shadow across the beds. The boys were still fast asleep, Gary snoring loudly and Kevin making the occasional grunt.

_It was all a dream…_ Mariah stood up, dazedly and walked over to the window. The tournament was starting tomorrow, and she and the other White Tigers were battling in the second round… but first there was going to be a party, which all the teams were invited to. This was mainly so that Mr. Dickenson could make some minor announcements.

She smiled, Ray would be there. It had been a while since she had seen him. He'd left their village near the start of summer to visit his friends in Japan. She turned cheerfully and walked back to her bed, when she noticed something odd. Her beyblade sat on the table beside her bed, glimmering faintly in the morning sunlight. She could have sworn she had left it in her bag. Similarly, Lee's Kevin's and Gary's blades all sat on the table beside it, lined up in a neat little row.

_We didn't leave them like that…_ Mariah walked over to the table cautiously picking up Galux and examining it closely, and that was when she noticed. The very center of the blade, where the bit-piece should have been, was missing. Galux was gone.

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Kai watched the snow fall from the roof of the building, feeling the wind whip the small specks of ice into his face and watching it toy with his slowly dampening scarf out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know what had possessed him to come up here. He told himself that it was probably the letter, but a voice in the back of his mind whispered something else.

He didn't want to be here, but he was never sure of what he wanted these days. He wanted the sweet things, and sometimes he felt a craving for the bitter things, but he never felt that he deserved either of them. Apathy could be both a curse and a gift, but Kai never had the right timing for it. Whenever his emotions became too much to handle, he wished for it and it never came – and when it was cold, indifferent and detached he felt himself wishing he could _feel_, and he never did.

What Kai _did_ know, was that whatever it was that had brought him up here could go to hell, and Boris Balkov could go with it.

"So Kai, I trust you understand what your task is?"

Kai said nothing. He could remember the days when his grandfather would give him assignments in person, instead of sending his lackey to do it. Oh, he hated being used either way, but at least it was less insulting to be ordered around directly. Not that he didn't have a choice – he didn't _have_ to be up here, but he was. He didn't know why. That same voice was still whispering, taunting him because _it_ knew, and he didn't.

"Well, Kai? I haven't got all day to wait for a spoiled brat to make up his mind," even though his back was turned to the man, Kai could see the smirk planted on Balkov's face, "I could always use someone else…"

Somehow that struck a nerve. And again that little voice snickered, chanting _I know, I know..._ and Kai nearly shouted, "Then shut up and tell me!" but he didn't. The voice receded into a thin whisper before disappearing completely, leaving him out in the cold like it always did.

The point was, despite his disgust at what he was being assigned to do, it seemed thousands of times worse to think of his grandfather using someone else. It felt like being replaced, cast aside. He didn't know why he should care, but he did. He didn't want to be replaced.

"Fine," he replied softly.

"Ah, good," again, Kai could just see the twisted grin spreading across the man's face, "I knew you'd come around, Kai," he heard Boris turn to leave, pronounced heavy steps crunching into the thin layer of snow that had built up on the rooftop, "Oh, and I trust there will be no failures?"

"None."

"That's a good boy. It's a simple enough task, don't you agree? Tala and the others have already taken care of the other teams – all you need to worry about is the Bladebreakers."

Kai watched the snowflakes silently as they coated the city in a thick, white blanket. He wondered faintly if the grass was kept warm beneath that icy quilt, or if it was just as frozen as it's crystal surface…

"You know what to do, don't you, Kai?"

"…Yes."

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**_Mei: _**_It's too short! _::cries:: _Why can't I write any more? Why? _::bangs head on desk:: **_X.X_**

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**_Tyson: _**_Are you going to make Kai leave the team again? Isn't that kinda cliché?_

**_Mei: _**_No, I wouldn't make him leave… It have other torture in mind for him! MUAHAHAHAHA!!_

**_Tyson: _**_Riiiiiight__…._

**_Reviews:_**

**__**

**Glay**** – **Thanks n.n No, Kai won't hurt himself. I'm not saying he won't get hurt though n.n Being evil is so much fun!

**Sunny – **Yeah, I know what's gonna happen too! Um, sort of… n.n;;

**YamikaiemiBlackAngelMaritamai**** – **Me too! I need to figure that out O.o

**Fla****mable****-Devil – **Hehe… I ish going to be very evil. Very very evil… those bishies won't know what hit them! MUAHAHA!! ::winks::

**Maxie's Cute – **I'm sorry I took so long to update. n.n;; I didn't plan out this fic very well. But yes – tyka rules!!! n-n

**Hutchy**** – **Kai probably is. -.-;; I have a bad habit of making them OOC especially him. No, but Kenny will get his turn to be jealous ::evil grin::

**Fireie**** Gurl – **I updated! It wasn't exactly soon.. but yeah… n.n;;

**Kai-Lovr – **Kai is stressed… but I'll try not to make him too angsty, unless of course people want him to be angsty, but I never liked fics that were too angsty and… well, I'm rambling now n.n;;

**(random note from the beta-reader: She ish always rambling. /random moment)**

**Galux**** Kitty – **Thanks for reviewing my story n-n Ray and Mariah are one of my favourite pairings but I never write about them for some odd reason… I blame the sugar n.n

**Midnight**** Raven 3 – **Unfortunatley, updating is not my storng point… n.n;; But I'm glad you like it!

**Bey-bygurl**** – **I'm sorry Kai, but you're wrong: You _are_ Tyson's baby, whether you like it or not, so nyah! and… I have a fan? Really? n-n YAY! n.n;;

**Kiina**** – **Thankies! n-n Kai cutting is overused… Heck, Kai-angst is overused, but I still like it n.n;;

**Ms. Hobgoblin – **Thanks n-n Glad you like it :)

**Bra-Two – **You read it _twice_? You're kidding. I couldn't even stand reading it once – I had to get my friend to proof-read it for me n.n;; Lol. I updated now, n-n;;

**(And I'm still the one proof-reading!)**

**_Mei: _**_Thanks for reviewing everyone! Makes me feel really special! **n.n******_

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**_Tyson:_** ::snorts:: _You're not special… you're a freak._

**_(And you are? ::_Gets hucked out door by Muses cause there's no more beta-ing for now:: _Owie__? Update Mei.)_**

**_Mei: _**_Yes… updates n.n;; I know what and update is. n-n_

**_Kai: _**_No, you're a baka who doesn't even know her math._

**_Mei: _**_That was mean **T.T **_

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**_Kai: _**_You're mean to me._

**_Mei: _**_True. Review please!! **n-n**_


	3. Chapter Three

Sunny: Okay, it might be the Beta-Reader's fault the update came so slowly… okay, 'tis all my fault. Don't blame Mei, I'm the Evil person.

**Mei: **-.-;; That's not true. Hehe, here's the third chappie. Methinks this isn't going to be a very fluffy story… Methinks this is going to be a very retarded story. Ah well, what can you do? It was written because of a scene I planned near the _end_.

Sunny: With my help.

Mei: Yes, of course n.n;; Anywho – Lee and Mariah are cousins, for this fic. I have another one where they're siblings, and _another_ one where they're cousins again -.-;; I can't seem to make up my mind. But I know they're related! Yes, that's all I do know… This chapter is boring, methinks it's called a filler… (Sunny: It is,) but I'm not sure. (Sunny: I said it is, I'm the Beta-reader) I'm not very good at writing action out, but the action _will_ come, I promise you guys! n.n;; Just not in this chapter…

**Warning – **Yaoi (shounen ai)

**Disclaimer – **Don't own beyblade. Never did.

Thanks for all the reviews so far! You guys are really great :)

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**When the Snow Falls:**

Chapter Two:

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Tyson woke up to bright, blinding sunlight in his eyes. The world champion squinted as he sat up, looking around the room dazedly. The other bed was empty, big surprise there. The fourteen-year-old sighed, but paused when he noticed a note beside his bag, written in Kai's small, spiky handwriting.

_Training is at __10:30__. Don't be late._

Tyson sighed, but a small grin spread across his features. Typical Kai, blunt and straight to the point… Which reminded him of the decision he had made the previous night. He was going to tell Kai, today. Preferably before training. He was going to tell Kai that he loved him…

He wasn't sure _why _he'd decided to do it. The only conclusion Dragoon's blader could come to was that he'd lost his mind. He picked up his bag and hurriedly got dressed, grinning goofily due to how nervous he was. After spending ten minutes in search of his beyblade, he bounded out of the hotel, taking out his map of Moscow to try and find his way to the gym; he figured his captain would be there, bright and early, as usual.

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Tyson peeked into the gym. Sure enough, across the other side sitting on one of the benches, was his captain. The elder boy was sorting through a stack of papers that looked suspiciously like math homework. A very familiar looking binder lay open beside him, along with some equally familiar looking math textbooks.

The younger boy gulped, Kai had sure picked a great day to go through Tyson's homework. Ever since Hilary had complained that Tyson's grades were dropping because he spent too much time beyblading (and the ever-so-loyal Kenny had backed her up), the rest of his teammates had offered to help him keep track of his schoolwork. They took turns every week, going through his books and his notes and making sure he hadn't forgotten anything. While Tyson wasn't at all pleased, it had satisfied Miss I'm-the-class-president-and-what-I-say-goes immensely.

He must have made a noise, because Kai looked up suddenly from his inspection of Tyson's math. He gestured calmly for the younger boy to come in, but not before holding up a blank worksheet on fractions and pointing at it questioningly.

The stormy-eyed blader coughed, "That's not due for another week," he mumbled lamely. _Last week_, he thought guiltily to himself. He walked over to the bench and felt his stomach lurch as he realized that his Chemistry, Physics and History were also sprawled across Kai's lap – along with his unfinished assignments in each subject. He suddenly became supremely grateful that Ray and Max had offered to check his biology for him, knowing that that was where he scribbled all his little love notes and doodles: "Tyson loves Kai" surrounded in little hearts. They'd spared him the humiliation of having his captain find them.

"Is it?" asked Kai calmly, "Do you get an extra two weeks on all your assignments or something?" he held up another copy of the worksheet, filled out in Hilary's neat printing, and marked in red with an "A" at the top.

"Um… Well, you see… I… uh…" Tyson stumbled, looking for an excuse so that he wouldn't make himself look like a total ass in front of his crush. Not that he hadn't already done that a gazillion times before, but back then he hadn't had a crush on Kai.

Kai shut the text book, organizing the rest of the papers inside it so that they would fit without falling out. The one by one he stacked Tyson's schoolbooks neatly on his lap, laying his arms across the books lazily and resting his chin on them when he was finished. He looked up at the word champion patiently, "You "uh" what?"

_He looks really cute like that…_ Tyson thought absent-mindedly, _I should take picture of him, and hang it on my ceiling, and look at it every night before I go to bed…_

"Earth to Tyson."

The younger boy's head snapped up, "Oh, um…"

Kai sighed, and stood up, handing the stack of books to Tyson, who nearly fell over from the sudden weight. Quickly, the world champion placed them back on the bench.

"Do your homework Tyson. We don't need you disqualified from the tournament," said Kai, walking away.

"Um, yeah sure, I-"

"And training starts in five minutes," Kai added coolly.

"Wait!" called Tyson, "I need to tell you something!"

Kai stopped walking, and there was a long, slightly ominous pause before he finally turned around, "I'm listening," he answered quietly.

The navy-haired teen could feel his heart beating erratically against his chest, _Now… I'm gonna tell him now_. Suddenly finding himself unable to meet the elder boy's eyes, he focused on the roof of the gym instead, "Um… Kai, well you see… the thing is… I… Uh… I really like you…" he stole a quick glance down at Kai's face, which remained as calm and unfazed as ever. _Maybe he doesn't get it,_ thought Tyson, panicking, "I mean I _really _really like you… Like, _like_ like… um, you."

Kai frowned, "Like like like?" he repeated, his burgundy eyes filled with confusion.

_He.__ Doesn't. Get it. _Tyson forced himself to take a deep breath and try again, "What I'm trying to say, I guess is that… I… uh… I think I… I love you… you know?" The dragon blader felt like shrinking down to a microscopic size. He sounded like such an idiot. He looked at Kai again; almost afraid of what he would see there. Anger… rejection… hate…

To his surprise, the other boy didn't seem angry, just confused. There was a flash of what looked like hope, deep inside those pretty eyes, but it vanished when Kai angled his head so that his slate gray bangs hung in his face, "Nice try, Tyson."

"What?" asked the world champion disbelievingly. What was Kai talking about? Was he rejecting him? The younger boy cringed at the thought.

Kai shook his head, "I'm not _stupid_. This is by far your lamest attempt to get out of training. Ever."

Tyson's mouth hung open in shock. Kai thought he was _joking_?

"But-" before Tyson could try and explain to his captain that he actually _meant_ what he had said; Ray, Max, Kenny and Hilary came barging into the gym, followed by a very distraught set of White Tigers.

"Guys!" cried Max, "You won't _believe_ what happened!"

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Ray couldn't believe that anyone would be as low as to steal his old teammates' bit-beasts while they were asleep. He could see that the White Tigers were having trouble believing it too. Lee's fists were clenching and unclenching unconsciously, his eyes narrowed furiously. Kevin sulked, throwing dark looks at some invisible person occasionally, muttering to himself about how he would "get them" and make them pay. Even Gary, calm, gentle Gary, was angry.

But what really worried Ray was Mariah. She hadn't said a word all morning, not even to greet him and the others, Max, Kenny and Hilary, when they'd come to say "hi". She'd let the boys do all the explaining about how the bit-beasts had gone missing, but she hadn't said anything.

Tyson's mouth dropped open in shock as Max and Kenny rushed to explain what had happened, "You're not serious!" he said, his eyes widening, looking over at the Chinese team, "What kind of creep would do something like that?"

"I don't know," growled Lee, "But just wait until I get my hands on them!"

"Until _we_ get our hands on them," snapped Kevin, "There's no way that I'm sitting back on the action this time – that freak is gonna feel my wrath!"

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Ray might have punched Kevin's shoulder playfully and asked, 'What wrath?' but he kept silent, eyeing Mariah anxiously from the corner of his eye. It wasn't like her to be so quiet.

"But I don't get it," said Hilary, "How can anyone steal the bit-beasts without a battle?"

Kenny hurriedly explained to her, "They're in a bit chip, in the center of the blade – remember how I explained the parts to you before?"

Hilary listened intently as he continued to explain, and finally she asked "But if it's that easy to take the bit-beast chip thingy out, then why battle the person for it?"

"Because it is honorable," replied a cool accented voice, although the accent was so slight that it was impossible to tell what ethnicity it came from.

"Robert?" asked Tyson as they turned to look at the doorway, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We were informed by Monsieur Dickenson that we might find you here," said Oliver. There was a sad look about the normally cheerful French blader.

Ray didn't like the sound of this, "Why?" he asked.

"Why?" shouted Johnny, "Why? I'll tell you why! Because some no good, stinking, rotten-"

"Johnny!" said Robert, "Calm yourself."

"Calm myself? Calm myself!" the Scottish boy looked at his captain incredulously, "Somebody's taken my bit-beast, taken it! Without even a fair fight and you want me to 'calm myself'?"

"He's right, John," said Enrique wearily, "Panicking won't get us anywhere."

"I am _not_ panicking!" said Johnny heatedly.

Ray frowned, "Wait, you mean-"

"Your bit-beasts were stolen too?" Lee finished for him. The others looked to the European team expectantly for an answer.

"Yes-" began Robert, but he was cut off by an angry Johnny.

"While we were _sleeping_! Sleeping! Can you believe the nerve? Probably a stinking little coward too scared to face us in a real fight!"

Kevin scowled, "Yeah, well just wait until we find out who did it! We'll make them wish they'd never crossed paths with the White Tigers! … Or the Magestics," he added as an afterthought.

Kai, who had been silent throughout the whole conversation, suddenly spoke up, "I wouldn't get too worked up. Even if you _did_ catch the person, the chances of you getting your bit-beasts back wouldn't be very high."

"How do you know?" snapped Johnny, "They were too scared to battle us, right? So that means that they probably suck! Even without our bit-beasts, we could beat them easy!"

"There was a battle…" said Mariah softly. Ray jumped; they were the first words she'd said all day.

"What are you talking about, Mariah?" asked Kevin, "There was _no_ battle! We were asleep!"

"There was!" argued the pink-haired girl, seeming to regain her spark, "We were all there, the Magestics lost to them, then you and Gary… and then me… We all lost to them," she finished quietly.

"We didn't lose to anyone!" snapped Johnny, "We never _fought _anyone!" Robert gave him a look and he fell silent.

"Perhaps she remembers something that we don't," said the European blader calmly.

"Who?" asked Lee curiously, "Who did we lose to?"

"Tala…" she said quietly, "And Bryan and… I don't remember all their names."

Ray knelt beside her, "The Demolition Boys?" he asked gently.

Mariah nodded a vague far-off look in her eyes.

"This is stupid," muttered Johnny, "If I'd had a battle against those guys – or anyone, for that matter – and _lost_, I sure would've remembered it!"

Max shrugged, "Maybe it was just a bad dream?" he asked tentatively.

"That would make sense," said Lee slowly, eyeing his cousin cautiously, "Mariah's been spooked about returning to Russia because of what happened last time with those Demolition Boys. Haven't you, Mariah?"

The pink-haired girl snapped out of her trance, "No! It wasn't a dream, I'm _sure_ that they did it," she looked around at the group earnestly, looking for some support, "Kevin? Gary? Lee?" her teammates shrugged apologetically, "…Ray?" the former White Tiger found he had to look away to avoid seeing her disappointed look.

"Face it," snapped Johnny, "The whole thing was a dream. Why would the Russian team pull a stunt like that anyway? Voltaire and Boris Balkov are supposed to be in _jail_, aren't they?"

"They did do it!" shouted Mariah, "I know they did!" her fists clenched angrily as she turned around and stalked out of the gym, "I _know_ they were the ones who did it, and I'm going to make them pay!

"Mariah, wait!" Ray called after her.

No one noticed Kai's sudden interest with the silver chain of the pocketknife inside his pocket, or how he twisted it tightly around one or two of his long fingers, not even Tyson.

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"So. You got the boy to agree?"

"Yes sir. However, I still have my concerns regarding his… reliability."

Voltaire looked up disinterestedly from his desk, sipping his tea calmly, "How so?"

"Well sir…" the man paused, choosing his words carefully. He did not want to make it seem as if he resented Mr. Voltaire's decision. No, that would not be good at all, "The boy has proven disloyal many times in the past. He has no sense of duty, sir."

"He has agreed, has he not?" asked the old man coolly, placing his teacup down on his desk and reaching into his drawer for a slender beige envelope. He opened the unsealed flap and carefully emptied the contents onto the surface of his methodically neat desk. A slow, wicked smile spread across his wrinkled lips as he counted the small, metallic chips, "The boy already has _their_ trust… all he needs to do is wait for the perfect time to exploit it. And while he waits, he can bide his time by delivering to us some valuable information."

"Yes, but sir," replied the younger man, the irritation now evident in his voice, "How do you know that the information he gives us will be authentic? The child can be very deceitful; he may lie to us…"

"Elementary, my dear Balkov," said Voltaire, mimicking the renowned, fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes, with a sly smile, "Who better to keep an eye on a teenager, than four other teenagers?"

"You mean Tala…?"

"Yes. Have him and the others keep a strict watch on my grandson – if he does anything suspicious, they will inform us… and Kai will be punished."

A slow smile of understanding crossed Balkov's thin lips, "Of course, sir. I shall send them out right away."

The older man nodded, returning to the drinking of his tea as his right-hand man departed. He frowned slightly, recalling his disappointing failure two years earlier at the Russian world championships. _You will **not** disobey me again, Kai._

* * *

**Mei: **And, um, that's it! Really corny, I know. Probably cliché too… but hopefully it'll get more original as the story progresses… I can always hope…

**Sunny: **::In the middle of being cornered by angry Readers:: Mei? Uh, MEI!!! LITTLE HELP HERE PLEASE!!??

**Mei: **-.-;; It wasn't her fault! I take forever to update my stories anyway. What's an extra few days? ::also gets cornered by angry readers:: Um… uh oh… uh… Well, I guess some groveling is in order? n.n;; Please don't hurt me n.n… you do realize that… O.O ::runs::

**Tyson: **-.-;; ::watches angry readers chasing Sunny and Mei:: Oh well. As long as they review, she'll be happy.

**Kai: **If she'd rather get lots of reviews than survive an angry mob of readers, then she really needs reconsider her priorities.

**Tyson: **n-n Hehe…


	4. Chapter Four

**Mei: **_I haven't updated in so long. xP I'm a horrible person, I know. I won't get into my excuses. Anyway, I don't even know if people are still reading this, but here's the next chapter anyway. _

_And thanks to all the people who continued to review and put up with my extreme procrastination in updating. You guys are awesome. :3_

**Disclaimer: The day that Beyblade belongs to me, pink and green polka-dotted whales will fly. The same goes for Gravitation. (Although I can always dream…)**

**Warning:** Shounen ai

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_**When the Snow Falls**_

**Chapter Four**

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"He didn't believe me."

The broken pine cone flew across sidewalk, taking a dusting of light, feathery snow with it as it went. The boy who had kicked it stuffed his hands into the pockets of his ever present bright red jacket angrily, and kicked uselessly at more of the snow, as if the frozen expanse was somehow responsible for all of his troubles.

Beside him, the brown-haired girl watched, her eyes showing a slight tinge of worry, "It's not so bad," she finally said, attempting to be reassuring. Although the subject had only just been suddenly brought up, she was fairly sure she knew what her friend was talking about. "You just have to try again," she added hopefully.

"Try again?" The teenaged boy scowled, his temper obviously rising, as it so often did when he got worked up about something. Even a very small something, "He as good as rejected me, Hil."

Hilary wasn't sure what to say. The whole day had had a rather melancholy tone. Especially with the gray clouds that had been looming of the Russian city, coupled with the dreary old buildings of this section of town, and the bright whiteness of the snow, the whole place had a very monochrome feel to itself. They had spent the better part of the day trying to find Mariah, Ray had insisted adamantly on looking for her, and Tyson had insisted with equal stubbornness on helping Ray look for her. So naturally, inspired by the ever energetic world champion, the entire group had joined in to help – with the exception of…

"Kai!"

Hilary jumped, casting Tyson a startled glance. Lost in her thoughts, she had been unaware that her best friend had been ranting about the rather elusive object of his affection for the past few minutes.

"Why does he do this to me?" Tyson demanded to no one in particular, as if the answer would suddenly present itself to him out of no where, "I don't understand him at all."

"Well, you shouldn't give up," said Hilary sternly. An idea suddenly popped into her head, and she gave a mischievous grin, "Suichi never gave up on Yuki in Gravitation!"

Tyson's eyes widened, having been very suddenly jolted out of his brooding over Kai, "Oh no!" he wailed, shutting his eyes as if that would somehow make it all go away, "Not this again! I don't want to hear about your stupid Gravitation!"

"It's not stupid!" Hilary protested angrily, and then an all too familiar dreamy look came over her face, "It's such a sweet story…"

"Man, haven't you tortured me with this enough times already? I know the _whole_ story, and I've never even seen it," Tyson cringed, dreading what was about to come.

"But it's just so cute!" Hilary gushed, giggling crazily, "And you and Kai are so much like them!"

The navy-haired teenage beyblader groaned. This was a song he had heard from her far too many times to possibly count.

"You're always trying so hard to impress Kai, and he's always putting you down!" Hilary exclaimed gleefully. Tyson failed to see how there was anything good about that. "It's just like Suichi and Yuki!"

"No," Tyson moaned half-heartedly, knowing this was an argument he was doomed to lose, "No, it isn't! Me and Kai, and Yuki and whoever, are _nothing_ alike."

"Kai and _I_, and Yuki and _Suichi_" Hilary corrected automatically, completely ignoring Tyson as he rolled his eyes, "And you guys are _so_ alike! Kai makes such a great seme, with all his rebel-ness and evil death glares, and you make a perfect uke," she giggled at the sour face that Tyson made in response to this.

"Do I have pink hair? Do I?" he asked indignantly, recalling the pictures that Hilary had so gleefully shown him, "Do I look like that girl out of Cardcaptors!"

"Suichi does _not_ look like Sakura!" screeched the brunette, balling up her fists angrily, "And I wasn't referring to appearance. You're all cheerful, and happy, and always trying to get Kai to go out, and do things! And he's all grumpy and mysterious and angsty-ish…" she continued on and on and on.

Tyson sighed. This was hopeless. His best hope was just to try and tune her out. The fact that she was starting to add "ness" and "ish" to the end of everything was only further proof that she was moving on into a full-blown rant.

Suddenly, she gasped, "Tyson!"

"What?" he snapped, being more than a little annoyed.

"Max would make a brilliant uke too!"

"Oh no…" Tyson said, bracing himself for what would inevitably come.

"He's single, right?" asked Hilary excitedly, not bothering to wait for Tyson's reply she gave a delighted squeal, jumping up and down in the snowy sidewalk in her excitement, and causing people to cast her odd looks, "Tyson, we just _have_ to set him up with someone! A really hot guy…"

"Uh…" Tyson had known that the brunette had always been oblivious to the fact that both Max and Kenny had a crush on her, and were constantly fighting over who could gain the most of her attention, but he'd never known that she was _this_ oblivious.

"It'd be perfect!" then her dark brown eyes widened ever further, as she somehow thought of another, 'better', idea, "Kenny would make a great uke too!"

Tyson was completely dumbfounded. And then, suddenly, and image popped into his mind of what kind of reaction Max and Kenny would have, if they heard this. He couldn't help himself, he just started laughing.

"What's so funny, mister?" she asked impatiently, "Do you have an objection to my plan?"

Tyson struggled to keep himself from snickering, "Hil, Max and Kenny are kind of straight."

"Oh really?" Hilary didn't sound the least bit convinced. "And how would you know?"

Her friend sighed, and slung an arm around her shoulder, "Let's just say it's exceedingly obvious…"

There was no reply for a while, and then, "_Exceedingly_ is a really big word, Tyson… are you feeling all right?"

"Hilary!"

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_Shit…_

He'd made a complete mess of his shirt. And his pillow. And pretty much the rest of his bed. What had he been thinking? Normally he was never this careless. If he didn't get this cleaned up soon he'd have a lot of explaining to do, explaining he didn't want, or need, to deal with.

After the whole scene with the White Tigers and the others, he'd trudged up to his room, feeling a desperate need to be completely alone. He didn't think he could face the others, seeing as he _knew_ who had taken the bit-beasts, and why, and how, and where they now were.

Ray had promised his friends, the White Tigers, to help them and the others look for the missing bit-chips, and of course, Tyson, being the friendly, helpful, loyal, loveable, brave, strong, gorgeous… ahem, Tyson being Tyson had offered to help out too. So what was Kai supposed to say?

"_Yeah, I know where they are. In fact, my psychopath grandfather was bailed out of jail recently, and his little lackey Boris with him, and they have a grand scheme to use the bit-beasts for world domination and all that jazz – and did I mention I know all of this because I'm helping them?"_

Oh yeah, that would have gone over _real_ well.

Then of course, there was what Tyson had said to him earlier… _"What I'm trying to say, I guess is that… I… uh… I think I… I love you… you know?"_

No, Kai didn't know. Tyson couldn't love him. He was Kai! He was a jerk! An asshole! Scum! He was about to betray the only real friends he had ever had, _again_! All because of his selfish pride about being second best in the eyes of a man who had never even cared about him!

It was all fine and dandy for _Kai_ to love _Tyson _(ignoring for a moment that Kai was _supposed_ to be emotionless, ruthless, power-hungry, inherit his grandfather's company, and help rule the world). Tyson was kind, and caring, and selfless, and funny, and trustworthy, and the kind of guy who deserved to have people fall in love with/worship/adore/stalk – okay, maybe not _stalk_ him, but that had never stopped Kai.

The point was: why should Tyson love Kai? There was no logic in it! Kai had always been cold, and rude, and arrogant, and generally plain unlovable. There was no point in getting his hopes up. Tyson had to have done it to get out of training. What else could it be? But the world champion had sounded so sincere, and when Kai had blown him off he could have sworn Tyson had looked hurt.

Of course, if that was true that he had said so to get out of training, then the only reason he would have pulled something like that was if he _knew_. And how would he know? Kai didn't keep diaries. At least he didn't _remember_ keeping diaries – maybe somewhere along the way his "traumatic" (Kai didn't like to be referred to as traumatized) childhood had caused him to have multiple personalities that he didn't know about, and one of _them_ kept a diary. A fluffy, _pink_ diary. And since they were actually a part of Kai, they loved Tyson too! And having the diary (the fluffy, _pink_ diary), they couldn't resist writing "I love Tyson!" all over it in bold purple letters – and suppose Tyson had found that…

Okay, now he was just being silly. Here he was, bleeding all over the hotel bed, while his friends went to search for stolen bit-beasts that were taken by his deranged grandfather – who he was yet again working for – and all he could think about was whether Tyson had read his non-existent diary.

Or maybe the blood loss was affecting his thinking… that was probably what it was. It occurred to him if he'd lost so much blood that it was starting to mess with his head, then maybe he should be at least _slightly_ worried.

Kai chuckled darkly to himself. His life wasn't screwed up _at all_.

"Do you really get that much of a kick out of trying to kill yourself?"

Kai snapped to attention, looking around the room – and trying not to look too frantic about it – for the voice that had spoken. It was oddly familiar.

"Tala."

"Ooh, good guess. Shall I give you a cookie?" The red-headed Russian was perched on the window sill (the window which Kai suddenly realized was wide open), and looking incredibly bored.

Kai narrowed his eyes, and attempted to look as nonchalant as possible despite the fact that he was more than a little embarrassed to be caught bleeding all over the place out of his own doing, "What do you want?"

"Me?" asked Tala, raising an eyebrow, "I want to go home and watch my Russian soap operas." He sighed almost wistfully, "but I guess we don't get everything we want, do we?"

"_Soap operas_?" Kai rolled his eyes deciding that he didn't want to know, "Okay, fine. _Why_ are you here?"

"I'm babysitting you," said Tala casually.

"You're _what_?" demanded Kai. He felt the sudden need to cover up the drying blood on his sheets, even though Tala had clearly already seen it.

Tala sighed, again. "I'm supposed to make sure you don't cause any "trouble". Like last time." He gave Kai a meaningful stare.

Kai knew what he meant. He'd heard no end from his grandfather on the days following the first world championship tournament with the Bladebreakers. There were many threats, even more bruises, and yet even more insults. However, Voltaire had then been sent to jail, and for the first time in his life Kai didn't have to answer to his grandfather. For a while, he had been thinking he would never have to again.

He'd been so naïve.

"Look, these are Boris' orders," said Tala, "Don't think I'm getting some sort of twisted turn on from stalking your every move. You're not even supposed to know I'm watching you."

"Oh?" asked Kai, raising an eyebrow, "Why would you tell me, then?"

"Because it would make my job a whole lot easier if you didn't do anything stupid," explained the red-head, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

He hopped off the window ledge, onto the bed, and placed his face inches from the shorter teenager, his voice lowering, "So now that you _know_ I'm watching you, maybe it'll give you more incentive not to "accidentally" let anything slip to any of your little friends…" he trailed off, a slightly pained look surfacing in his eyes, "… I… do have my orders, if that should happen," he added firmly, but quietly, "I don't want to have to carry them out."

Kai nodded mutely. He was suddenly wishing that all he had to worry about was whether he had split personas that kept diaries depicting his undying love for another boy.

Seemingly satisfied, Tala stood up, and walked briskly to the door of the room, "You might want to clean yourself up, by the way. Red's not really your colour." Not waiting for a response – likely knowing there wouldn't be one anyway – he walked out of the room.

The door fell shut, and Kai vaguely noted that it was no longer locked, which left anyone free to walk in and discover his current predicament, but that wasn't very high on his list of worries anymore.

In a somewhat mechanical fashion, Kai stood up. The rather sudden movement, combined with the loss of blood caused his vision to go rather blurry for a few moments, and he stumbled in a less-than-graceful un-Kai-like way to the washroom.

He locked the door, automatically, and dragged his bag out onto the counter – exactly why had he left it in the bathroom, anyway? Careful not to make any more of a mess than he already had, he pulled out many extra clothes before finding a spare set of bandages that he had always kept around just in case. Kai may have had a few "issues" but he wasn't suicidal. Well, not right now, anyway.

Just because he'd occasionally _thought_ about it, didn't mean he would ever really _do_ it. It was the coward's way out, he told himself, and Kai Hiwatari was _not_ a coward. _Well, if so why had he caved in to the demands of his grandfather so many times…? _Ignoring this thought, he wrapped the bandage around his throbbing wrist. The pain which he had somehow forgotten coming back and slicing evenly through his thoughts until all he noticed was the pain, and the mechanical movements of his arm as he neatly folded his clothes up once again and replaced them inside his bag.

He didn't notice the sound of the door opening in the room just outside until it was too late.

"Kai? Are you here? We found Mariah and… What the-!" It was Tyson's voice. Kai paled, the world champion was back already. He'd have to think up an excuse, and quick. But what was he supposed to say?

The doorknob to the bathroom turned, but it was obviously locked. Kai stared at it blankly as it made futile attempts to turn itself. Finally, it seemed to give up on itself. There was a loud bang, and the bathroom door shook. This was followed by another bang, and another, creating a rather repetitive, and extremely loud and annoying, pattern. Tyson must have noticed the light seeping from under the bathroom door and figured out that Kai was inside.

"Kai! Are you in there? Answer me! There's blood all over your bed! What's going on? Are you okay? Kai!"

Don't worry Tyson, it's only the blood from Kai slitting his wrists like the messed up, depressed grandson of a psychopath that he is. It was nothing major, don't have a cow. And if the art of being criminally psychotic was hereditary, all the more fun! He again wondered vaguely if he should be worried.

Of course he should be worried, what the hell was he going to say to Tyson? That he'd _accidentally_ cut his wrist on his pocket knife? Tyson may not have been the brightest bulb around, but he wasn't stupid, he'd catch on. And then what would he do? Would he tell the others what a freak Kai was? Would tell some "trusted adult" and get Kai sent to some sort of therapy, where he'd be locked away in an institution until they'd brainwashed him into being "normal" again?

Maybe he could pretend that he wasn't here, that the bathroom had magically locked itself. No. He couldn't do that. If he didn't answer, Tyson would be worried – heck, he was already worried – and then he would go try and get help, and that wouldn't do very well, especially when they found out Kai had been hiding in the bathroom all along.

Tyson was obviously kicking the door now, and with each steady "thump" the plaster in roof surrounding the door frame rained down on the tile floor in tiny shards of dust. Just how cheap was this hotel if the plaster could fall from the roof like that anyway?

"Kai! Kai? C'mon, man, you're freaking me out! If you don't answer, I'm breaking the door down! I mean it. What's wrong?" Tyson's voice softened, became less demanding and more sympathetic, "Are you hurt? Do you need me to call the hospital? Kai?"

Kai opened his mouth to answer, but his voice was hoarse, and barely audible, so he was forced to repeat himself twice before Tyson actually heard him, "I'm fine."

The kicking of the door stopped, and with it the falling crumbs of off-white plaster. Kai blinked, wondering if it had all been some twisted daydream, and Tyson would go away now as if he had never been there. The bandage around his wrist was starting to develop a small pink splotch. The blood was already leaking through. The surprise Kai felt was detached, as if it were happening to someone else, and not to him; a character in a story perhaps. He hadn't thought he'd cut so deep.

"Kai?" asked Tyson hesitantly, trying the doorknob again, but of course it was still locked, "Can you open the door? What's happening? Why is their blood all over the sheets?"

He had no excuse. Maybe if he'd played his cards right he could get Tyson to believe some excuse. There was one he had in mind… it might work. Some of his clothes were still strewn across the countertop, and he remembered for the first time that he'd left the knife on his bed, somewhere in the mess of stained sheets. And his shirt, he ought to change that while he was at it, it was still covered in blood.

Now that the excruciating loudness of Tyson banging on the door had stopped, the entire situation seemed surreal, almost dreamlike. It left Kai eerily calm, given the panic that had surfaced when he had first realized Tyson was back. This brought out the more logical half of his mind. He was starting to rationalize that the longer he kept silent, the more worried Tyson would become.

There was nothing else to do but open the door and face the other boy.

He wasn't expecting the concern in Tyson's eyes to be quite so intense. He had, obviously, expected it to be there, the tone of the younger boy's voice had told him that much, but he hadn't expected to see it shown so strongly. It caught him off guard, and suddenly he didn't feel so detached anymore.

"What's the matter with you?" Tyson demanded, grabbing the front of Kai's shirt upon seeing that he was apparently unhurt (Kai had made sure to keep his bandaged wrist out of sight). "I was worried about you, Kai! Why didn't you answer right away? Don't you know how much I care about you?"

There is was again… those words. Not the same words, but the same meaning. I love you. I care about you. Kai couldn't bring himself to look directly at the world champion, so he stared off behind Tyson's shoulder, his eyes fixing on an old lamp by Tyson's bed. It was true. It must be. Tyson did love him. He should be happy… it was what he had wanted, wasn't it?

So why wasn't he happy? Why did he feel so horrible? Was it because Tyson was angry with him? No, Tyson wasn't angry. Just annoyed… and worried. He was worried about Kai.

Tyson dropped shirt, the material falling more loosely on the older boy's chest after having been stretched out of shape. He sighed, taking off his ever present red and blue hat and running a hand through his messy blue hair, "Will you at least tell me what happened to your bed?"

He was so forgiving. Kai wrung his uninjured hand guiltily through his scarf, still feeling too ashamed to look the other teenager in the eye. So he continued to stare at his lamp, desperately wishing he could go back into that almost dreamy state when he had simply been watching things happen to himself, as if he wasn't there, as if it wasn't happening to him, as if he were someone else… someone worthy of Tyson, maybe.

"It was a stray cat."

He could remember his humiliation when Tyson had discovered a few months ago that he had an apparent "soft spot" for cats. Almost every morning without fail he would meet a stray one outside the abandoned warehouse he'd used to use as a base with the Blade Sharks way back when. It was empty now, and he suspected the cat liked it there, or maybe it only kept coming back because he was feeding it.

Regardless, Tyson had just so happened to walk by one morning, promptly scaring the cat away, and giving Kai no end in teasing about his "cat fetish" – despite Kai's futile attempts to explain otherwise.

"A cat?" Tyson asked now, prompting him for more information.

For once, Kai decided to oblige, although he made sure his voice sounded as reluctant and annoyed as possible, "Yeah. I brought it in to feed it, and it didn't like that very much," he said carefully. If he hesitated at all during his story then Tyson would surely know he was lying. "You didn't have to make a scene."

Tyson seemed unsure, "What did it do to you?"

"It clawed at my arm," Kai answered easily, relieved that Tyson seemed to believe him, but not showing it. He gestured to the bed, "It's not really as bad as it looks."

"Where's the cat now?" asked Tyson.

"I took it back outside," said Kai quietly. He could tell by Tyson's frown that he hadn't completely swallowed the story, but younger boy wasn't pushing the subject. "Don't worry about the bed," he added softly, "I'll get it cleaned."

"Okay," replied Tyson, "Well, I just wanted you to know, we found Mariah, and Rei calmed her down."

Kai nodded silently.

"I was wondering," said Tyson thoughtfully, almost to himself, "Do you had any idea who might have taken the bit-beasts? I mean, you don't really think it was the Demolition Boys was it?"

Kai stiffened, "No." It was another lie. Why was he always lying to Tyson lately?

"Yeah, I guess they wouldn't do something like that. Boris and Voltaire are in jail right?"

Kai nodded slowly. More lies.

"It's just Mariah seemed so convinced it was them. It was kind of creepy," he smiled at Kai. Tyson had such a nice smile, and right now, it was directed at him, Kai. Somehow, it didn't make him as good as he thought it should have. He felt like scum.

"The others said we were going to have dinner soon, you coming?" Tyson had already reverted back to being all cheerful, despite the morning's events and the whole scene with the bed. That was Tyson, always making the best of everything…

"I should probably clean up my bed…"

Tyson's face fell, "Oh, yeah. You'll make it in time for dinner, though?" He looked hopeful.

_No… I won't._ But Kai only nodded.

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**Mei: **_It's not really very long, is it:_sigh_: Anywho… if anyone's still reading this, um, could you drop a review, please? n.n I appreciate it. _


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